Universal Design

Universal design refers to the design of products and environments that are made to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for physical adaptation or specialized design. The objective of universal design is to simplify life for everyone through the creation of products, communications, and built environments that are made more usable for as many people as possible. Universal design thus benefits people of all ages and abilities.

In relation to new media, universal design refers to the design of telecommunication devices and services, including telephones, television programming, and computers, that are accessible for people with diverse disabilities, as well as ensuring Web accessibility for people with disabilities. Seven principles for universal design, as elaborated by the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University, are as follows:

• 1.
  Equitable Use. The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities.
• 2.
  Flexibility in Use. The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.
• 3.
  Simple and Intuitive. Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.
• 4.
  Perceptible Information. The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, [Page 454]regardless of ambient conditions or the user's sensory abilities.
• 5.
  Tolerance for Error. The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions.
• 6.
  Low Physical Effort. The design can be used efficiently and comfortably, and with a minimum of fatigue.
• 7.
  Size and Space for Approach and Use. The design provides appropriate size and space for approach, reach, manipulation, and use, regardless of the user's body size, posture, or mobility.

Changing demographics in North America have necessitated the movement toward universal design. People are living longer lives, and more people are also living with diverse disabilities. In the United States, universal design rights are recognized by legislation influenced by the disability rights movement and various advances in rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology. Examples of U.S. federal legislation include the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, which requires that all buildings designed, constructed, altered, or leased with federal funds be made accessible; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which made it illegal to discriminate on the basis of disability, and which applied to institutions receiving federal funds; and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which prohibits discrimination in employment, access to places of public accommodation, services, programs, public transportation, and telecommunications.

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 requires that telecommunication services and equipment, as well as customer-premises equipment, be “designed, developed, and fabricated to be accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities, if readily achievable.” The act applies to all types of telecommunication devices and services, including telephones, television programming, and computers.

As the Web displaces traditional sources of information (such as print media) and becomes indispensable to the dissemination of government information, news and current events, educational resources, and civic material, it is crucial that it be accessible for all citizens. Accessibility of the Web is one area of research in the universal design field that has been very active. The World Wide Web Consortium has initiated the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), in coordination with international organizations, in order to pursue Web accessibility through six main areas of work: technology, guidelines, tools, education, outreach, and research and development. Many governments, including those of the United States, Canada, the U.K., Australia, and France, require Web accessibility for certain kinds of sites, most often including government sites. Often, these accessibility guidelines are referred to as a “common look and feel.”

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